Daniil Medvedev defeated Carlos Alcaraz and pushed Jannik Sinner close at Indian Wells.
The former US Open champion delivered one of his finest performances in years, as he became the first player to beat Alcaraz in 2026.
Despite his defeat to Sinner in the final, Sam Querrey described Medvedev as the third-best player in the world.
Will Daniil Medvedev ever win another Grand Slam title?
Former Miami Open champion Danielle Collins agrees with Querrey’s assessment.
Danielle Collins claims Daniil Medvedev is the third-best player in men’s tennis
Speaking to the ‘Tennis Channel‘, Collins gave her verdict on the Russian.
“This is the [Daniil] Medvedev that the tennis fans, like me, want to see,” she said.
“He is playing some of his most aggressive tennis, he’s getting his shots dialled in, he’s getting better each day.
“I think, mentally, he is in a really good place right now.
“He’s looking incredibly confident out there.
“He’s just having a little bit more resilience, I think, in the bigger moments. He seems like he’s having a good time. This is what we want from Medvedev!
“And, I’m a big Medvedev fan, so I’m a little biased, but yeah, I think he’s in the top three.”
Collins and Querrey both believe Medvedev is a top-three player.
The 30-year-old is ranked 10th in the world, but sits third in the ‘Race to Turin’, which suggests the Americans may be on to something…
Live ATP Race
| Rank | Name | Country | Points | 2026 Titles |
| 1 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | 2,910 | 2 (Australian Open, Qatar Open) |
| 2 | Jannik Sinner | Italy | 1,910 | 1 (Indian Wells) |
| 3 | Daniil Medvedev | Russia | 1,660 | 2 (Dubai Tennis Championships, Brisbane International) |
| 4 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 1,400 | 0 |
| 5 | Alexander Zverev | Germany | 1,300 | 0 |
| 6 | Alex de Minaur | Australia | 1,045 | 1 (Rotterdam Open) |
| 7 | Ben Shelton | USA | 1,010 | 0 |
| 8 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | Canada | 925 | 1 (Open Occitanie) |
| 9 | Jakub Mensik | Czechia | 855 | 1 (ASB Classic) |
| 10 | Alexander Bublik | Kazakhstan | 760 | 1 (Hong Kong Open) |
Collins continued to share what she likes about Medvedev’s game.
“He’s all feel, he’s going off of his instincts, but sometimes that’s the best thing you can do, if you have the talent, and the knack for the sport, you can throw the technique out of the bag, and you can just rely on your instincts when you’re that good,” she said.
“His timing is incredible and he’s adding power to his game.
“This is hard to do mid-season, but clearly there is a concentrated effort.
“Look, I’m a power player, I would face off against anyone, you don’t want to be facing some of those balls he’s hitting.”
Medvedev has caught the attention of several players, past and present, and he will look to continue to do so at the Miami Open.
Daniil Medvedev is the third-favorite to win the Miami Open
We asked our fans on TalkingPoints to pick their Miami Open winner.
Who do you think will win the Miami Open this year?
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Sinner and Alcaraz unsurprisingly topped the vote, but it was Medvedev, who slotted in at number three.
TalkingPoints vote share
| Player | Vote share | Best Miami Open performance |
| Jannik Sinner | 53% | W – 2024 |
| Carlos Alcaraz | 33% | W – 2022 |
| Daniil Medvedev | 8% | W – 2023 |
| Other | 3% | – |
| Alexander Zverev | 2% | F – 2018 |
| Taylor Fritz | 1% | SF – 2025 |
| Jakub Mensik | 1% | W – 2025 |
Medvedev is a former champion in Miami, winning the title in 2023.
He’ll want to repeat the feat in 2026, but who will Medvedev need to beat?
Receiving a bye into round two, Medvedev will kick off his campaign against Aleksandar Kovacevic or Rei Sakamoto.
Then, assuming the favorites advance, he could meet Francisco Cerundolo in the third round, Ben Shelton in the fourth round, and Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals.
Rematches with Sinner (semifinals) and Alcaraz (final) could then await him.
Medvedev will be wary of getting ahead of himself, though, and will first focus on his opener.
The world number 10 will play Kovacevic or Sakamoto later this week.
